Patient Lifting Straps Made for First Responders

Every day, firefighters, paramedics, assisted care workers, and emergency responders tell us they’re still lifting fallen patients with bedsheets. Lifting with bedsheets is unsanitary for the responder, requires inconsistent assembly, and introduces risks of slipping, ripping, or disbalancing an elderly or bariatric patient. Bedsheets have no instructions for proper assembly and, therefore, are never assembled the same way twice. Sheets can’t be trusted to safely lift the patient or protect the responder from back injury. 

The PAL Strap is a revolutionary tool for EMS providers, quickly becoming a staple for every ambulance, fire engine, and emergency vehicle. Designed by a firefighter who wanted to improve the risky and unreliable “lift-with-bedsheets” process, the PAL strap is a versatile tool that speeds up the lifting process, reduces liability, improves comfort for the patient, and reduces strain on the responders 

The PAL Strap is a simple, belt-like strap that goes under a patient’s legs and behind their back to form a stable basket with a lifting handle on each side. The PAL Strap allows first responders to move patients in a variety of settings with less effort and more safely:

• The back strap offers reliable, easy purchase points
• Assisting the patient to their feet takes a fraction of the effort
• Small responders can easily and safely lift much larger patients
• The PAL Strap can lift a patient directly from a seated position
• Patients can be moved to a stair chair, wheelchair, or bed
• Most first responders can, with lifters on either side, raise a patient into a cot or stretcher
• Patients can be lifted out of a car seat or from a stretcher to a hospital bed.

The PAL strap comes in a rugged kit with three sizes: Regular, Large, and X-Large. The regular strap (red) is the primary strap and is suitable to lift at least 90% of patients. The patient’s weight secures the girth hitch and ensures the patient is stable and at ease throughout the lifting process. Equally important, however, caregivers guarantee a snug and comfortable fit by confirming the strap’s presence around the thighs and providing support along the back. The PAL strap disassembles in seconds, so to remove it, you simply pull the loop apart and slide the strap out from behind the patient’s back. This is much simpler and quicker than scooting and shimmying a patient around to remove bedsheets from underneath them. An experienced paramedic can disassemble the PAL Strap and remove it from a patient in under five seconds. This video demonstrates the use of the PAL Strap in residential and assisted care settings.

With its commitment to standardized techniques and provider safety, the PAL Strap sets the bar for EMS-first lift-assist solutions.Interested? Have questions? Call us at 866-530-9032 or find your representative today!